Sea Tow

Ecoimagination

Hastings

Carp

Scenic Hudson Plan for Yonkers

Tritium

A Shad Story for Mr. Shen

Reflections on the Class

As a history major and real estate buff, I have always had an interest in the development of cities and industry, particularly in the New York Metropolitan region. However, I did not fully understand the impact that the completion of the Erie Canal had on the greater New York region and industry in America in general until I took Professor Paquette's 19th Century America class last spring. I was intrigued by the intense battle led by DeWitt Clinton to create the Canal, realizing that many similar battles occur over development still occur today. "Friendly debate" throughout the semester with some of my classmates has also allowed me to understand how rough the process of development can be.
Studying the rise and fall of several cities along the river, such as Troy, Newburgh, and Hudson, has further increased my interest in property and development. I plan to follow the development plans in Newburgh and in Yonkers, seeing if those cities can be fixed up like other cities along the river, such as Jersey City and Hoboken. The boat ride along the river allowed me to experience firsthand the beauty of the River itself, of Bannerman's Island, of Storm King Mountain, of West Point, and of Washington's Headquarters. In conclusion, this class gave me a broad perspective on the issues of development and the environment, and also tought me many interesting things about the history of the River and it's surrounding cities. While class was at times heated, I am glad that I was able to discuss important issues with people of diverse ideology. It's amazing how a river that was intially thought of as just a "wrong turn," has had such an amazing history, and is still under the spotlight for the future.

Sense Of Place Becomes Real

Sense of place, a topic that was talked about during the first week of the class, was something that seemed like a strange question. I had no idea how this was related to the Hudson River. During our class’ investigation of the river, past, present, and future, I have come to realize that sense on place does have relevance to our study of the Hudson River and surrounding communities. On our boat trip, we could see Storm King mountain and the awesome beauty of it. Looking at the mountain and seeing the scar across the face of the mountain, I could understand why people would donate thousands if not millions of dollars as well as hours of their time to protect it. Although Storm King Mountain is not in my sense of place, I can see why to thousands of people it could’ve been. It truly is beautiful and I don’t know if it would be with a large electric generation facility carved into the side of it. I must say although the Hudson River Valley does not lack in beauty, my soul is still lost in on the Upper Delaware River system.



For my final thoughts on the classes, I would first like to point out that more and more of you are now blogging about fish... I will convert you all! I first thought that "The Once and Future Hudson" would be a dry subject that would quickly become drawn out and boring, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. I feel like we could have explored this topic for another semester.

And for my final signoff, I am a fish freak, and now you all know it!

Sense of Place

This semester has been entertaining and enlightening. Our diverse class had many spirited discussions and debates and I am now more open-minded for being a part of them. Throughout the semester we have been talking about sense of place. The Mayor of Hudson that we spoke to on our field trip recently has a strong sense of place for the city of Hudson because he grew up there. Just as I have a strong sense of place for my hometown, whereas a tourist passing through may not think it is that special. I believe sense of place is much more than just entertaining activities or sights. In order to have a sense of place, one must really understand and appreciate the little things about that place. This is why I believe citizens of communities should have more say than others on issues such as the SLC cement company, and whether or not it should be built along the Hudson. Company executives who do not live along the Hudson do not have a real understanding of all of the rich tradition that the Hudson has to offer. They do not realize that developments that may benefit the community economically can destroy priceless history. The Hudson River has played a crucial part in our history. Hopefully, the river will get the attention and care it deserves so that it can continue to play an important role in our future.

Returning to the Charles

Many of my classmates have written about the field trip that we took last week, and I agree that it was interesting and gratifying to see many of the sites along the Hudson that we have learned about and discussed during this semester. I now more fully understand why the Hudson means so much to so many people (and why we took this class, “The Once and Future Hudson”). We have learned about the history, the culture, the geography, the environmental problems, and the development of the Hudson River Valley through books, documentaries, novels, presentations, trips, and meetings. We watched Peter Hutton’s Hudson River films, visited the Munson William Proctor Institute, and traveled to Kaaterskill Falls (which was, thankfully, less foreboding than Thomas Cole’s painting), Newburgh, World’s End, and Hudson.

At the beginning of the semester, we discussed the importance of sense of place. Both then and now I think that each place, with its specific historical, environmental, human, and economic resources, is important. Places such as Storm King Mountain, Greig Farm, Crissy Field, Nissequoge River, and Kaaterskill Falls cannot be replaced or duplicated. They hold unique meanings for individuals and need to be maintained. The environmental movements and battles along the Hudson show people’s commitment to areas to which they have that special sense of place.

Later this week, I will return to my home in Massachusetts for the summer. I do not know when I will again return to the place or the topic of the Hudson River. I will, however, see the Charles River almost daily. The Charles, a recreational river, begins in Hopkinton and runs for about 80 miles long before emptying into Boston Harbor. The river has its own pollution problems, complete with pollution theme song – “Dirty Water” by The Standells (not Pete Seeger), written in the 1960’s. In 1996, the EPA gave the Charles a water quality grade of D (meet boating standards some of the time; almost never meet swimming standards). Since then, the EPA has been working with organizations to reduce pollution sources through enforcement and remediation. In the past two years, the Charles has received a grade of B+ (B -- always meet boating standards; meet swimming standards most of the time), showing the great improvement in river quality.

We have, in many ways, negatively impacted areas such as the Hudson and the Charles, but we certainly have the ability to renew these important places and have come a long way in doing so.

Place and Persuasion

Place and persuasion have a unique relationship. When asked about my favorite place I respond with a place very special to me, Gale Meadow Pond. Now this pond is open to the public and is used by many people but if each person was asked to describe the pond their descriptions would differ greatly. This is what is so special about place. Its meaning is very different to each person. No one is right, no one is wrong, but each person can have their own account of what is important to them.

Persuasion can be very important in gratifying your place. The Hudson River School painters persuaded their audience that their place was beautiful by painting their ideas of place. Gwendolyn Bounds persuaded people to see her idea Guinan’s in her novel Little Chapel on the River. Scenic Hudson persuaded the Town of Hudson that Saint Lawrence Cement should not build a new cement plant in the town trials.

Although developing a sense of place is personal, using the power of persuasion a person can convince people to see your place through their eyes. This is a very powerful tool. It allows people to spread their ideas and gain power. I have learned through this course that persuading others about your sense of place is extremely important and the ability to do so is coveted.

The Past and Future

It was interesting to see first hand the life surrounding the Hudson River. I feel we went at the perfect time of year to see the splendor and inspiring beauty of the region. I also believe we went at the right moment to capture the change between the year round residents and the seasonal visitors of the Hudson River Valley. I first noticed it in Newburgh when we got off the bus on the waterfront. Numerous bars and restaurants lined the shore, each with a new modern façade capturing to a younger wealthier crowd. At the hour we arrived there were few patrons and when we left it still looked empty, but the pier was full of local residents. It is understandable that people would flock to the shore of the Hudson during the summer months and that the true residents would stay year round. This difference in “old” residents verses “new” residents and visitors was also very visible this time of year. I previously said that the pier of was full of people and as Emma blogged about many of them were fishing. Here is were the contrast comes in, on one hand you have the wealthier crowd that keeps the bars in business and supports the city’s economy and on the other hand you have the residents who go back three or four generations who are not as prosperous and cannot solely support the new Newburgh economy. I saw this same tension in Hudson. Hudson’s Mayor met with us and told us that even after the Saint Lawrence Cement Plant had been opposed the city was still in a small civil war between the newer Hudson residents and the older Hudson residents. It is sad to see this change, I can imagine that you cannot have a city without an economy, but what defines a city? I would say people define a city and if you lose the people while saving a city, then you have not truly saved the city. There has to be some way to solve the local economic issue without evicting the lower income residents in the process.

Fishing and Poverty in Newburgh

On our field trip to Newburgh, Caterskill Falls, and Hudson we saw many of the destinations that we had talked about during class, like the falls, Storm King Mountain, West Point, Bannerman's Island, the City of Hudson and all of its antique stores, and of course the river itself. What I did not expect to see was the gigantic carp that was pulled from its waters as we were leaving the tour at Newburgh.

As we got off the tourboat, there were about 8 or 9 people hanging out and fishing near the dock. The signs near the water remind people that it isn't safe to eat fish out of the Hudson because of the PCBs; becase of these signs a lot of people catch and release, never consuming the fish they eat. We watched as one man got a bite and reeled in a carp that I would estimate to be at least 15 pounds (though you'd have to ask Mr. Shen for a more accurate estimate). Amidst the excitement of pulling this fish out of the water, I heard the catcher claim that he was going to be having fish for dinner that night, a statement that concerned me.

I have no way to know whether this man was actually planning to eat the fish, but the fact remains that despite warnings, some people still eat fish out of the Hudson. According to another post in this blog, it is only safe to eat about 1 meal of carp per month; I don't think I would even eat one meal of fish out of the Hudson. It is the poorest members of society who need to jeopardize their health in order to put dinner on the table. This is one more reason GE should be held responsible for the PCBs they dumped into the water over a span of decades.

I only watched the activity at the peer for about 10 minutes but in that short time the issue of poverty in the Hudson River Valley became more real to me. It is one thing to read about thousands of of people that eat fish out of the river each year, but seeing it happen in person just once made me care a lot more. I am glad went on the field trip for this reason, and would suggest that more classes at Hamilton take field trips so the students and professors may have an experience that stays with them after the final exam (or presentation).

Sturgeon

Great Day on the Hudson

Our field trip to The Hudson River this past week drastically altered the way I view the environment of the Hudson. For the entire semester I have read about the pollution and PCB problems with the Hudson as well as the surrounding communities. The readings do no justice for what the actually river is. Being on the water taxi looking at what we had read about for so long really allowed me to see the reality f what the river is. Passing Bannerman’s castle and looking up at Storm King Mountain was a spectacular view. This trip on the water put me right in a place with such rich history. Going down further and seeing West Point brought me back to when I was younger visiting my Uncle while he was a teacher there. I saw the field right off the river where I would hit golf balls and even tee some up into the river. While we were on the river I imagined what it looked like through the eyes of our first president George Washington. He came up with spreading the chain from one side of the river to the other in order to keep the British ships back. One aspect of the trip that moved me was the state of the city of Newburg. There is clearly a lack of jobs in the city since the industrial era is now gone. However, there is hope for this city after meeting with the city planner. The new SUNY lease will bring many college students to the area and hopefully revive the local economy. The waterfront there is also a bright part of the city and is bringing people back. The communities along the river have had some tough years lately with their lack of jobs but they are all have bright plans for the future to bring them back to thriving communities in one of the most important parts of the country.
The best part of the trip was going to see Kaaterskill Falls. It was hard to imagine Thomas Cole hiking up the mountain with all of his painting supplies to paint this beautiful landscape. The waterfall was nothing like the paintings. It was such a beautiful place that the paintings did no justice for what it actually was. It is easy to see why Thomas Cole would paint at this spot so much. His contributions to the Hudson River School were incredible and he found a perfect place at Kaaterskill. This class and trip has allowed me to no longer take the environment for granted. The Hudson River has a lot more than just problems with PCB’s. The river may not be what is once was with all of the industries along it but it is still a beautiful and very important place in this country. It also has a very promising plan for the future to bring it back to a place where people want to visit. In the years to come, it will be interesting to see what happens to the river and how much improvement the state of New York can do.

The Hudson River: A New Sense of Place

The Hudson River has always represented a part of my childhood, my home, and my family history. My grandmother grew up on Manhattan in Hell’s Kitchen and regularly swam in the river. By the time I was old enough to communicate, I learned from my parents that one did not swim in the Hudson River under any circumstances. I have noticed, however, the gradual healing process that the river is going through. It is cleaner than it used to be; when I cross the Tappan Zee Bridge to go into Rockland County or stroll in a riverside park I notice more and more water-skiers, kayakers and windsurfers darting across the water.

Even though I associate the river with home, the Hudson River has never been a particularly significant aspect of my identity. When the plans were announced to take a trip to visit various locations by the Hudson River, I was slightly irked that I had to miss several important classes and wake up at 5:30 a.m. (an insurmountable challenge for a college student) in order to visit a region I have grown up with and experienced for my entire life. As we climbed up Kaaterskill falls and spoke with the city planner at Newburg however, I realized that prior to taking this class, I had known extraordinarily little about the Hudson River Valley region considering I live in Westchester. I was looking at the river with different eyes, with a much greater respect for its unique history, culture, and environment. I feel that with my deeper understanding of this region came a deeper sense of pride and respect for the Hudson River. I probably owe my very existence to this river.

This learning process has also led me to realize that instilling a strong sense of place within the people in this region is essential to the Hudson River’s health in both an environmental and economic sense. Appreciation of the river is growing and growing, but there is always room for improvement. People will invest resources into an area if they are proud of it. There is more incentive than ever to preserve the history, culture and environment of this region. It is important to monitor the river so that we do not experience over-development and tax the river and its resources. With increased awareness, I care a great deal more about the Hudson River than I once did. I think that we can help the Hudson River heal, but we have to keep people interested and aware, and maintain the sense of place through preservation of its bountiful resources.

Storm King as Sense of Place

The part of the field trip that affected me the most was seeing storm king mountain from the river taxi. I had done research on the site for our final presentation and although I had read quite a bit about its role in the environmental movement, felt that my appreciation was not fully validated until I had seen the mountain first hand. The mountain really was a site to behold and a dominant image of the river tour. I realized when passing just how unsightly a power plant would be wedged in the face of the mountain.

I also realized that the mountain was rich with character. It was easily distinguishable from other landmarks of the area, a trait that reminded me much of the landmarks near my own home: features that are vital in developing a sense of place. In this case I am defining sense of place as the clearly visible physical features of an area which distinguish it from any other place. Although a plant would by no means decrease visibility of the mountain, it would have greatly changed the kind of place that this landmark defined. Storm king mountain would no longer signify the untamed natural beauty of the river, but instead would mark the beginning of a new, industrial age where nature is sacrificed for human gain. I am glad that this site has been preserved because I can now attempt to empathize with what the mountain means for the surrounding residents. I know that there are many features of my own home that, in my mind, define it as a specific place. If one of these features were to be drastically changed, my idea of home would be changed and what was once so familiar would become foreign and far less comfortable.

The Forgotten Beauty of Kaaterskill Falls

This past Wednesday, May 2, our class took a field trip up and down the Hudson River making stops in Hudson to meet with the mayor as well as a tour of Newburgh both on foot and by boat. However, the highlight of the day for me was undoubtedly the hike up to Kaaterskill Falls. I knew the falls were beautiful from seeing them in a number of paintings done by artists from the Hudson River school of painting, most notably Kindred Spirits by Asher Durand. What those painting failed to capture was Kaaterskill Falls' sheer size and majesty. Visuals like paintings and photographs aren’t able to truly convey what a natural beauty, like Kaaterskill Falls, is like. These resources are limited to describing only one sense at a time, which isn’t fair to Kaaterskill falls, which bombards all your senses. The views of the raging water tumbling over the cliff combined with the sounds of that water plunging over the stream and the smell of the spring time air as the mist from the water washes over your skin was an unbelievable experience.
Through out the semester our class has spent much of its time discussing the environmental mishaps of the water. Terms such as ‘Super Fund’ and ‘PCB’s’ became entrenched as part of the class’s vocabulary. In all the talk about dredging and floaters many people have lost sight of the natural beauty of Kaaterskill Falls and other parts of the Hudson Valley region, which are still very much alive.

I think I would catch and release

TABLE 1: Advisories for Hudson River South of Catskill, Upper Bay of New York Harbor Area and Western Raritan Bay

Women of childbearing age and children under the age of 15 should EAT NO fish of any species from the waters listed below. Other people should follow listed advice. Numbers in parentheses indicate waterbody location on map.
Waters	Eat none	Eat no more than one meal per month	Eat no more than one meal per week	Eat no more than 6 crabs per week
Hudson River - South of Catskill (2)	Channel catfish Gizzard shad White catfish Hepatopancreas ("the green stuff" also known as mustard, tomalley, liver) of lobster and crab & cooking liquid IN ADDITION: EAT NO American eel caught between Dobbs Ferry & Greystone	American eel Atlantic needlefish Bluefish Brown bullhead Carp Goldfish Largemouth bass Rainbow smelt Smallmouth bass Striped bass Walleye White perch	All other fish species not listed	Blue crab

Broken Main

Although vast improvements have been made in treating waste water before it enters the Hudson, accidents do happen. No swimming Yonkers this weekend.

Dia Beacon

Beacon Institute

Beacon

Across the river from Newburgh, Beacon is one model for a post-industrial Hudson.

Science Barge

Sleepy Hollow

Dragon Boats

Pete Seeger's Birthday

The People Make the Place

First of all, let me say that our field trip to the Hudson River was much more meaningful than I thought it would be. As others have remarked, seeing the places that we learned so much about was helpful in providing the framework for our sense of place. The most spectacular of these was Bannerman’s Castle on Pollipel Island. Even at a distance from the boat, the architecture and aesthetic appeal of the castle was brilliant. I only wish that we could have gotten closer or toured the island. Kaaterskill Falls was more beautiful then I had imagined it would be too. It was obvious how this place had inspired so many of the Hudson River School to create mystical paintings around the area. Experiencing Newburgh and Hudson was intriguing in a different way. To see how urban renewal is trying to work and the condition of cities along the Hudson in our postindustrial society was interesting and informative.

The thing that had the most profound effect on me was the people. From the fishermen and city planner in Newburgh, to the captain of the water taxi and the Mayor of Hudson, the people of the Hudson give me hope for the future. With so many having a stake in the future of the Hudson, the only place for the river to go is up. To experience the culture that is unique to the valley was really a treat. While some may argue that it is geography or material things that make a place, I disagree. To me, it is the people and culture that make the Hudson unique. I am glad that I was able to experience this place for the first time yesterday.

A Learning Experience

Yesterday's trip to the Hudson River was a great experience. It was wonderful to see all of the places we've heard and read about in class come to life. I greatly enjoyed our hike to Kaaterskill Falls - to imagine artists coming to such a remote area nearly 200 years ago makes their paintings all the more impressive. My favorite part of the trip was the boat ride from Newburgh to West Point. It was intriguing to see how much of the river is still open space - in 400 years of settlement, much of the riverfront and the surrounding hills and mountains are still undeveloped or only lightly settled. Seeing this idyllic landscape from the river itself made me gladder that the Storm King Mountain hydroelectric power plant was never built - I cannot imagine how different the river would be.

The Future of the Hudson

Our trip into the heart of the Hudson Valley made me so much more optimistic about the future of the Hudson. For the sake of education, it was necessary for us to focus mostly on the mistakes we have made in the Hudson area in class so I think I had a skewed view of how messed up the Hudson really is. However, walking up to Kaaterskill Falls and looking up at the untouched majesty of nature I found myself wondering how different the area looked in the 1800’s when Cole painted it. Try as I might, I couldn’t imagine the falls looking any different than they do today other than a possible shifted rock here or there. It blows my mind that there are still places in nature preserved today that are only really affected by the ordinary processes of nature.
Going to Newburgh and Hudson also made me realize that maybe the river and its shores are not in as dire shape as I may have thought. There are people today who care about the river and care about the beauty of the area. Though Newburgh may still need some work, it is steadily revitalizing. It is refreshing to know that people are trying to build appealing shops and houses on the shores of the Hudson instead of the factories of the past. I was actually struck by how few factories and how much untouched forest I saw on the shores while on our boat ride. I think I had a sense that the shores would be packed on both sides with factories and condos, but, in reality, it’s a huge river with huge tracts of undeveloped land on both sides. As Professor Eismeier noted, its great that we live in a time where people are horrified at the thought of ripping off a mountainside and replacing it with electrical plants.
The Hudson still has a long way to go; I must admit that I felt like I might be covered in PCB’s when a little Hudson water splashed on my face. But, there are clearly people who care about what happens to the river and people who really take the time to think through what will be best for it’s future and the future of the people who live around it. I think the Hudson is going to be okay.

Field Trip

As a student who does not now and never has lived on the East Coast, my limited knowledge of the Hudson Valley area made me feel unprepared at times in class. However, today after our field trip, I was able to experience and appreciate aspects of the East Coast that I have never seen before.

Although waking up at 5:30 A.M. on a Wednesday would not be my choice, I hold this field trip as positive benchmark in my college experience. My favorite part of was the hike up Kaaterskill Falls. Not only did I feel gratified fulfilling my missed workout for the day, but the hike proved enjoyable, beautiful and soothing. I realized that I rarely take the time to appreciate and experience pleasure from my natural surroundings. It was nice that this field trip allowed me to slow down and be able to observe the environment without the everyday stresses of life. With finals around the corner, sometimes you need to just relax and the hike fulfilled that need. All in all it was a great field trip.

New Restauraunt on the River in Poughkeepsie

In class we have frequently discussed the possibility of a cultural revitilization along the Hudson River Valley Region. Situated right along the river in Poughkeepsie, the exquisite Shadow on the Hudson Restauraunt is leading the charge. Boasting a large ballroom, dining room, and two fountains, the restauruant offers fancy food at an inexpensive rate and a beautiful view of the River and the Mid-Hudson Bridge. Shadow on the Hudson is gaining immense popularity locally.
Recordonline.com restauraunt critic Bill stated, " this place has been a huge hit since it opened. It specializes in excess. The food here is more than competent; most of it is very good, and it's served in enormous portions. Shadows on the Hudson is overpowering in many ways, but it also serves up an impressive dining experience that is generous, almost overwhelming.

Successful bars and restauraunts could be pivotal to the economic and cultural success the region is seeking. Upscale but not overexpensive restuaraunts such as the Shadow on the Hudson could draw not only tourists, but developers and businesses into the region.

People's Pier?

Is This a Good Idea?

Take Water Taxi from Yonkers to Lower Manhattan

GE